Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Dyers In Their Studios: Sharon of Stitchjones

Welcome to Dyers In Their Studios, a new monthly feature here on ReCrochetions.com, profiling local Hand Dyed Yarn makers, their yarn, their process, and where they draw inspiration.

Along with getting to know these awesome creative women, I get the pleasure of designing with their yarns! Check back tomorrow for details on the first design in my Hooked On Hand Dyed Collection, using Stitchjones' Pai Mei Lace, merino and bamboo lace weight (scroll down for a little preview).

Sharon Spence of Stitchjones

Background How long have you been dyeing yarn?For about six
years.How did you get started dyeing?Intrigued by the whole
process of making gorgeous hand dyed yarn, I dyed up a skein of natural colored
wool with some packets of Kool-Aid in my microwave.I became fascinated with the possibilities in
“real” (aka acid reactive) dyes for natural fibers, and my color experimentation
took off from there with help from guidelines and tips available online. What is your professional/education background?Clerical/admin/customer serviceAny special experience with art or science that influences
your dyeing?My
appreciation of Asian art, textiles and crafts has on occasion inspired me to
create colors (for example the colors of an apprentice geisha’s kimono, or the
celadon blue-green of pottery from the imperial dynasties of China)

My Yarn

What makes my yarn special or unique?Three
things:color, color and color!;)I
specialize in bold, intense hues (I use a lot of dye) and high contrast
variegated colorways.Subtlety is in my
repertoire as well; it’s just that big color is what my yarn is best known for.

What is something interesting
about my dye process that non-dyers might not know?The time and care
it actually takes to produce a beautifully dyed skein from start to finish, the
skill and imagination that goes into creating color on fiber that’s
deliberately yet subtly nuanced to enhance stitch work.

How do you choose your colors and name your yarns?We’re a musical
household; my husband is the guitarist in a band and our daughter sings.At the time when I was getting started as a
dyer, she loved the “hair metal” bands of the 70s and 80s (such as KISS, Motley
Crue, Poison, Cinderella).It all sounded
good to me – I’d missed a lot of that fun music the first time around!I started doing wild neon combos on sock yarn
and giving them musical names.Music and
popular culture still influence my color choices, as well as nature, and naming
my yarn bases is a lot of fun.For
example, when I began dyeing merino-bamboo blend sock yarn, I wanted a cool
name for it.It was my daughter who came
up with the suggestion “Pai Mei” (meaning “White Eyebrow”, a reference fans of
Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol. 2
will recognize).In fact, the slogan on
my original yarn labels “Color Goes To Eleven” is a twist on a line from the
hard rock satire movie This Is Spinal
Tap.

Where do you find inspiration?From nature,
especially forests and gardens.Pinterest and design-seeds.com are also great resources for colors and
palettes.

Yarnegeddon Sock Club goodies from December 2014 box!

Just the Facts How many colorways do you have?I’ve created
hundreds of colorways over the years, and nearly all are repeatable.I keep adding new ones as well.Do you create seasonal or special order colors?Absolutely.I’ve dyed for several sock yarn clubs, and my
own club (Yarnageddon by Stitchjones, founded 2012 ;) features colorways
influenced by the change of seasons.I
also offer sparkle sock yarn (Glam Sock) in holiday season colors, usually
during November and December. How many and what types of bases
do you use?At
present I carry nine different bases, ranging from laceweight to worsted/Aran
weight.(The current lineup:Pai Mei Lace, Merino Sock, Goodfoot Nylon
Sock, Pai Mei Sock, Glam Sock, Bluefaced Leicester DK, Tribute Merino Superwash
DK, Dyepot Worsted, and Merino-Silk Worsted Single.)Where do your yarn bases come
from?A
local wholesaler (Ashland Bay) plus two others in the United States (Kraemer
Textiles and Wool2Dye4) Where can we find your
yarns?Locally:Yarntastic! Fiber Arts and The Naked SheepKnit Shop in Portland,NitroKnitters in
Beaverton (eta April-May 2014).In
Texas: The Tinsmith’s Wife in Comfort.Online:Stitchjones.etsy.com

Do you crochet, knit or spin?
Which came first?I learned to knit when I was in my teens.I’ve taken crochet and spinning lessons, and
will occasionally break out my Turkish spindle and some fiber.I love the look of my knit garments edged in
crochet.

Anything else you would like to
share?I
love seeing all the great projects made in Stitchjones yarn on Ravelry.I think of undyed yarn as a canvas; my hand
dyes are for the needle & hook artist to transform into their own works of
art!

About Me

Crochet Designer, Instructor, and Author. Professional member of CGOA and TNNA. My children are my muses, inspiring many of my designs. This blog began with our NICU blanket project, donating in memory of my first daughter. Over time it has become about all things crochet, my designs, and crafting with my kids.
Find me as ReCrochetions on Facebook, Twitter, and Ravelry.